


A Very Awkward, Very Angst Filled Dinner for Four

by blondeeoneexox



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Arrow (TV 2012) Season 5, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blondeeoneexox/pseuds/blondeeoneexox
Summary: A Season 5 re-write in which Oliver and Felicity end up on a double date, but not with each other.
Relationships: Adrian Chase/Felicity Smoak, McKenna Hall/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 40
Kudos: 163





	A Very Awkward, Very Angst Filled Dinner for Four

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my loves!  
> This fic is basically what could have been in Season 5 of Arrow. It's the Felicity/Adrian relationship and jealous Oliver that we all deserved, but never got!  
> The fic is for Milla (babblesqueen on Twitter). If it wasn't for her, this would have probably never come to fruition. Thank you, my friend! 
> 
> As always, thank you to Ellie, my amazing beta and friend! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! :)

He needed a break. 

For the past two months, Oliver had been working tirelessly for the people of Star City, both in a suit and under a hood. It had taken quite some time for him to learn how to balance the two. He hadn’t known exactly what he was signing up for when he was appointed mayor, but so far it had been beyond fulfilling. 

Thea had joined him as chief of staff, helping him any way that she could. Just last week, he had appointed Quentin as his deputy mayor, a job that he thought would be perfect for him. There was also a new ADA, Adrian Chase. He seemed to have a really good head on his shoulders and knew exactly what he was doing. 

The team he had built around him at City Hall seemed to be just the right fit. 

Then of course there was the team in the bunker. That team consisted of one person. 

Felicity. 

After the team went their own separate ways, he didn’t know quite how the dynamic would go between them. Felicity had made it very clear to him six months ago that she wasn’t going to leave him to fend for himself. He was so thankful for that. He’d come to rely on a team over the last three years, more so than he would care to admit. 

To say they were working well together would be an understatement. The two of them were like a well oiled machine. Working together for the past five years would do that to two people he guessed. It also helped that he knew her better than anyone and vice versa. 

They knew how the other operated and what each other needed. She had always been his rock, and even after they had broken up, that hadn’t changed. She was still there for him in every way that mattered. Almost. 

Oliver was still in love with her. There was no question about that. He longed for the days that he could be with her again, if that was even an option for them. He knows how badly he hurt her. How much the lie about his son had affected her and their relationship. He would never forgive himself for doing that to her. He should have told her the moment he found out about William, but he instead chose to keep it from her for months, effectively ruining any chance of happiness he could have had with her. 

_He was an idiot._

Felicity had been acting a bit strangely around him the last month or so. Every time her phone would chime, she would automatically check it. That wasn’t out of the ordinary for her, but the smile that would appear on her face and giggle that escaped her mouth after she did definitely was. He had side eyed her a couple times, wanting to ask what was going on, but knowing that it wasn’t his place anymore. He knew she was probably seeing someone, but just didn’t want to tell him about it. 

Oliver understood that. He honestly didn’t know how he would react to that if she told him. He had been trying to mentally prepare for that day though. 

Which was part of the reason, other than needing a break from City Hall, that he had agreed to go out on a blind date with Adrian, his girlfriend, and another one of Adrian’s friends. A blind date probably wasn’t the best idea, considering he hadn’t been on a date with anyone since the date with Felicity blew up in their faces. 

It would be fine. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. 

Stepping into the restaurant, he looked around, not seeing Adrian. The restaurant reminded him of the Italian restaurant he had taken Felicity to on their first date. He smiled at the memory, remembering her in that gorgeous red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. They were both so nervous that night, wondering where this date was going to lead their relationship. He knew how much he loved her and how deeply she cared for him. Sharing details from his time in Hong Kong hadn’t been the plan that night, but looking back, it made sense. She had already known everything about him, it was only fitting that he share something with her that wasn’t already a known fact. 

He knew where he wanted that night to go. From the moment he laid eyes on her in his mother’s office all those years ago, she had intrigued him. But when he first walked around the corner and he saw that red pen dangling from her mouth, he had been hooked. The urge to kiss her had been strong then, and the urge to kiss her before, during, and after their date had been the strongest. Of course a criminal with a bomb had other plans for them.

Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts and made his way up to the maitre’d. “Hi. Chase, party of four.” 

The maitre’d nodded his head, grabbing four menus and heading toward a table near the back of the room. Oliver thanked him, pulling a chair out from the table and taking a seat. He ordered a scotch while perusing the menu. 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed by, but he soon heard a vaguely familiar voice calling his name. He looked up and almost choked on his drink. 

“Oliver.” 

The brunette beauty smiling down at him was a complete blast from the past. She looked the exact same as she had the last time he saw her. Beautiful brown eyes, long dark brown hair, and a smile that lit up a room. 

“McKenna?” he smiled, lifting from out of his seat. He wrapped her into a hug, chuckling a bit. “What are you doing here?” He asked, pulling away to look at her face. 

She smiled, squeezing his arm. “I’m here for a blind date actually. With you, apparently.” 

Oliver blanched at her words, not expecting them. He watched as she pointed to the maitre’d behind her, confirming that this was indeed the table she had been brought to. 

“I-I’m confused. How do you know Adrian?” he stuttered, not being able to form a coherent thought. 

Oliver hadn’t seen McKenna since the day after she had been shot by another one of his exes, Helena Bertinelli. Her femur was shattered, effectively ending her police officer career for at least a year. She made it known that she was moving to Coast City to live with her sister and rehab there. He checked up on her a few times within that year, texting her occasionally. He really had cared about her, but that relationship was one that was more filled with lust than anything else. 

“Adrian and I met about a year ago while he was working in Coast City. I’m a detective there now.” Oliver’s heart warmed at that, knowing how discouraged she had been about her recovery last time they had spoken, her dreams of going farther on the force seemingly so far away from her.

“We became pretty good friends. I guess that’s what happens when you catch the bad guys and he prosecutes them.” she chuckled, gazing up at him. “I’m just here for a couple days gathering evidence from SCPD for a case we’re collaborating on. Adrian suggested going to dinner and said he had a friend at City Hall that needed a night out.” 

Oliver smiled, blushing a bit at her last statement. “I’m so happy to hear you’re doing so well, McKenna. It is so good to see you after all these years.” He pulled out the seat next to his, gesturing for her to sit next to him. 

She smiled softly, taking a seat. “It’s good to see you too, _Mayor_ Queen.” she bumped her shoulder into his, taking a sip of her water. “I have to say that I was quite surprised to hear that you had taken on the mantle of Mayor of Star City. That’s huge.” 

He bit his lip, offering her a small smile. “Yeah. It was something that kind of came out of left field for me too. I just saw how much this city needed a leader that could unite them and help lead them to a better place in the future. That’s all I want to do.” 

“Well, from what I’ve seen so far, you’re doing a great job.” McKenna squeezed his forearm, smiling softly at him. “So, have you met Adrian’s girlfriend yet? I heard she’s a real firecracker.” 

Oliver chuckled slightly, reaching for his scotch. “I actually didn’t know Adrian even had a girlfriend until yesterday when he asked me to go on a blind double date. I don’t know anything about her.” 

He swiveled his head in the direction of the door, catching sight of a smiling Adrian heading their way. “Guess we don’t have to wait too long.” he murmured, gesturing to his friend that was fast approaching. 

“Sorry we’re late, my girl always loses track of time. She’ll be right out, had to run to the ladies room.” Adrian gave them one of his cheshire cat smiles, leaning down and giving McKenna a kiss on the cheek. “I see you two have already met.” He reached across McKenna’s back, extending his hand toward Oliver. 

He took it, giving him a smile while grabbing his hand in a firm shake. “We have. It’s actually pretty funny, man. McKenna and I used to date back before she moved to Coast City.”

Adrian’s eyes widened, taking a seat across from McKenna. “You’re kidding. McKenna, why didn’t you ever mention it? You know I work with him!” he asked, leaning back into his chair. 

“I don’t know...I honestly never thought I’d ever see him again, let alone be on a blind date with him.” she turned, blushing slightly. “Sorry, Oliver. No offense.” she let out a little laugh, bowing her head. 

“None taken, I didn’t think we’d ever see each other again either.” he paused. “We’ll just have to make the best of tonight.” he smiled, squeezing her shoulder. Turning to Adrian, he cleared his throat. “You have any more surprises for me, Chase?” 

Not even two seconds after the words escaped his mouth, he heard an audible gasp.

“Oh frack.” 

Oliver lifted his head to see Felicity standing there as gorgeous as ever. Adrian popped up, taking Felicity’s hand and linking their fingers. “Oliver, McKenna, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Felicity Smoak. 

_Girlfriend?_

His eyes moved back and forth from Felicity to Adrian trying to comprehend what he had just heard. _Adrian_ was the person making her giggle at her text messages? _Adrian_ was who she was dating? _Adrian,_ the person who he worked with on a daily basis and his friend was Felicity’s new _boyfriend?_

Oliver immediately reached for his scotch and downed it. 

_This can not be real._

“You okay, man?” Adrian’s voice reached him first as he turned, feeling three pairs of eyes on him. Mckenna’s looking concerned, Adrian’s looking confused, and Felicity’s looking completely mortified. 

Oliver shook his head, nodding to Adrian. “Yeah man, I’m good. Just a little caught off guard is all.” 

His eyes landed on Felicity, who looked like she was going to pass out. He could tell that she was just as surprised to see him there as he was to see her. He let his eyes travel down the length of her body. She was an absolute vision, as always. She was wearing the color that was his favorite on her; red. The dress seemed to be a variation of the one she wore on their first date, just a bit shorter. Her hair was down in curls, her normal, natural make up applied to her face. He would never get over how beautiful she was. 

But she wasn’t there with him. She was there with Adrian. She was _his_ girlfriend. 

_That was something he’d have to get used to._

“Oliver…” He heard her voice break through his thoughts as they often did. Peering up at her, he gave her a soft smile. 

“Hey.” he got up from his chair, making his way around the table. His arms immediately wrapped around her, engulfing her in a hug. Oliver felt her small hands wrap around his back, immediately melting into him. They sighed, almost in unison. 

That was the thing about them. No matter where they stood in their relationship, no matter what happened between them, they would always calm each other. It had been like that from day one, and it always would be, even under these circumstances. 

Pulling away, he gazed down at her. Nodding ever so slightly, his lips pulled up into a small smile. He was letting her know that it was okay, that they would get through this dinner and talk afterwards. As if she understood, she smiled back, nodding in response. 

Felicity turned toward Adrian, who was watching the two of them with a very confused expression on his face. 

“I actually know Oliver...well you could say I know him really well. We dated a while ago...well I had been in love with him for almost two years and then he decided he wasn’t ready for a relationship and I dated Ray Palmer for a while. Then I realized that it wasn’t fair to Ray because I was in love with Oliver, and so I broke up with him. Then Oliver’s sister di-I mean had an accident where she was seriously injured, but then she was okay and it caused all these feelings to come out and I told Oliver I loved him and we slept together, but then he had to leave for a while and I never thought I was gonna see him again, but we did and then we actually got together for real and then we got engaged and almost got married, but then I found out that he-” Felicity stopped, her eyes widening realizing everything she had just said. 

Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, as her hand blanketed her face. “The fact that I don’t have a glass of wine in my hand right now, is a real fracking shame.” she muttered, bringing a smile onto Oliver’s face. 

He glanced between McKenna and Adrian. “Felicity is my ex-fiance.” he stated simply, hoping that finite statement would allow this evening to move forward. 

Both Adrian and McKenna’s eyes popped open, realizing the awkwardness that was about to ensue. 

McKenna spoke first, seeming to bounce back from the shock of Felicity’s babble and Oliver’s statement. She reached out, extending her hand to Felicity. “I’m McKenna Hall. It’s really nice to meet you.” she smiled warmly as Felicity returned her handshake. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, I’ve heard a bit about you from Oliver. You’re a police officer, right?” Oliver was thankful that Felicity hadn’t mentioned the fact that McKenna also happened to be his ex-girlfriend as well. 

Oliver sighed, moving back to his seat beside McKenna, as Adrian pulled out the chair beside him for Felicity. Sitting across from his ex-fiance and beside his ex-girlfriend at dinner. _What could go wrong?_

He motioned for the waiter, silently asking for another scotch, as the rest of the table ordered their drinks. 

_This was going to be a long evening._

* * *

Things were going about as awkward as Oliver expected them to. Halfway through the appetizer is when Adrian finally spoke up. 

“So, you two,” he gestured between Oliver and Felicity, “were engaged? And you two,” he then gestured between Oliver and McKenna, “were in a relationship?” he took a sip of his vodka, a slight smirk on his face. He was enjoying this more than he was letting on.

Oliver swallowed, clearing his throat. “That would be correct. McKenna and I dated about six months after I got back from the island. She moved away and we broke up. Felicity and I were engaged, but then I thoroughly fucked up and lost her.”

He looked up from his scotch into Felicity’s blue eyes. They were trying to tell him something, but Oliver turned back to Chase. That pain was still too fresh for both of them. 

“Well, I apologize for making this evening awkward for you, Oliver. I honestly had no idea you had any connection to either one of these lovely ladies. I thought this could be a fun evening for all of us.” Adrian draped his arm around Felicity, attempting to scoot her closer to him. Oliver couldn’t help the small growl that escaped his lips at the gesture.

Felicity is the one who spoke next. “It can still be fun! Oliver and I are still friends. We decided long ago that no matter what happened between us, we would always remain friends. Right, Oliver?” she asked with a small, but bright smile. 

He nodded, moving his hand to grasp McKenna’s under the table. He couldn’t help but notice Felicity immediately following his hand, her eyes coming ablaze, but only for a moment. 

“Right. It’s fine. We were friends before we were together and we have been friends for the last six months.” he paused, his free hand grabbing his drink, “Not good enough friends to tell me she’s dating my friend and colleague, but that’s another matter...” he muttered, earning a glare from Felicity.

“So!” Mckenna exclaimed, squeezing Oliver’s hand, “How did you two meet? I don’t think I ever asked.” she looked between Adrian and Felicity expectantly. 

Adrian paused to look over at Felicity, sending her a wink, and effectively sending Oliver’s blood ablaze. “We actually met outside City Hall. Felicity was sitting on the stairs outside. I noticed her when I was buying lunch across the street. I told myself that if she was still sitting there when I went back to the office that I would find an excuse to talk to her.” 

Felicity smiled, rolling her eyes as she took over the story. “Yeah, and then what did he do? Proceeded to ‘drop’ a folder full of case files right in front of me. He’s lucky I’m a nice person or else I would have let him pick all of that up himself.” she chuckled, squeezing his thigh.

Oliver’s blood pressure continued to rise at every little touch he witnessed between them.

McKenna laughed, taking a sip from her water glass. “That is such a cute story. Isn’t that a cute story, Oliver?” she prodded him, staring at his side profile as he stared at the girl he was still madly in love with. 

“Absolutely adorable,” he stated, trying to sound sincere, but still not being able to hold his sarcasm in. Taking the last sip of his scotch, he turned to McKenna. “So how have you been? How’s the force in Coast City?” he asked, draping his arm along the back of her chair. 

She smiled, brightening up immediately at the change of subject. “It’s honestly everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Being a detective is ten times more fun than being a beat cop if I’m being totally honest.” 

Oliver smiled, leaning back in his chair. “That’s so amazing, McKenna. I’m so glad you were able to find your happiness again. I know how much it was worrying you when you left Star City after the accident.”

She nodded, looking around the table. “I was shot back in 2013 by Helena Bertinelli,” Oliver swung his eyes over to Felicity, knowing she remembered exactly what happened that night. “I was shot in the leg. It completely shattered my femur. Two surgeries and a year of rehab later, I was able to rejoin the force.” 

Felicity turned her attention back to his date, “McKenna, I am so sorry that happened to you. At least you came out stronger. That’s all that matters.” she smiled at her, picking up her glass and tipping it to her in a small toast. 

“Thanks, Felicity. You’re exactly right. It’s so important to look at the brighter side of things.” she smiled, tipping her glass back toward her and taking a sip. 

“How are things at City Hall, Oliver?” Felicity asked, taking another sip from her red wine. 

Oliver paused, quirking his eyebrow ever so slightly. She knew exactly how things at City Hall were, seeing they had just discussed things earlier in the bunker. He knew she was trying to throw their dates off. 

“It’s going pretty well. Dealing with city ordinances, some paperwork, normal mayoral things. Although I did have one employee accuse me of looking like the Green Arrow. That gave me a pretty good laugh.”

He watched as Felicity’s eyes popped so wide, he thought they might pop out of her head. “What in the world? There’s no way that’s possible. I mean, I would know. I lived with you for almost a year. I knew your habits like the back of my hand. I was sleeping with you for God sakes. I would have known if I was sleeping with the freaking Green Arrow and-” 

He chuckled as he watched in amusement as she groaned, putting her face in her hands. “And I’m going to stop talking in 3...2...1…” as if right on cue, the delicious aroma of their food began wafting toward the table. “Food. Thank god. That’ll really shut me up.” 

It did. 

* * *

Midway through the meal (and about three drinks in for each of them), the mood shifted slightly.

“I for one, _love_ rom-coms. Anything with a happy ending is a good movie in my opinion.” Felicity stated, popping a piece of garlic bread in her mouth. “Although Oliver _hates_ them. He would always complain when I made him watch one with me. That never stopped me though.” she chuckled, sending him a teasing glance.

“I never said I hated them! When Thea and I were younger, she used to make Tommy and I watch rom-coms with her all weekend. We would always sit and complain about having to watch them back to back to back. But secretly? I loved it. It was because I loved spending time with her.” he paused, taking a long glance at Felicity. “The same went for you, you know.” 

She blushed, her eyes never leaving Oliver’s. After what felt like minutes, she cleared her throat, turning her attention back to Adrian. “What about you, babe? What’s your favorite genre? I don’t think I’ve ever asked you before.”

Oliver’s stomach turned at the term of endearment she used. He would never get used to her calling another man pet names. It was one of the little things he missed about her and their conversations. He missed calling her baby, honey, my love. It was so natural for so many months, hearing another man being called that, hurt him in a way he hadn’t expected. 

Adrian’s voice broke through his train of thought. “I normally like thrillers, documentaries, or horror films. But I’ll watch whatever you want, I’m not picky.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

If the pet name hadn’t sent his emotions over the edge, that kiss sure would have. 

Pushing up from his seat, he cleared his throat. “I’ll be right back.”

Without looking back, he weaved his way among the crowd of people towards the men’s room. He thought he’d be able to do this at the beginning of the night, but he could not have been more wrong. 

_This was torture._

Knowing Felicity was dating was one thing. It was something he could handle. He didn’t have to see it, he didn’t have to acknowledge it. Not fully being aware of that fact was something he could get on board with. But being on a double date with her and her _new boyfriend_? Who happened to be his friend? That was too much. 

Leaning on the counter he took a long, deep breath. Oliver wanted her to be happy. God, that’s all she deserved was to be happy. He knew he had royally fucked up their relationship. Lying to her, keeping such crucial information about his life, about _their life_ from her was unforgivable. But fuck, he wanted her back. He wanted nothing more than to have a second chance, to make things right. He would never stop loving her until he took his last breath. Even then, he’d still love her. Of that, he was absolutely certain. 

“Are you okay, man?” Adrian’s voice broke through his thoughts. Picking up his head, he blinked a couple times and turned around. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for checking.” he nodded.

Adrian stepped forward, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Look, Oliver. I honestly didn’t know you and Felicity had been engaged. Same goes for McKenna too. She never mentioned you guys were together...” he trailed off, looking at him directly. “I would never want to put you through that type of torture...I mean, a blind date with your ex-girlfriend and dinner with your ex-fiance and her new boyfriend? What kind of monster would I have to be to knowingly make you go through that?” he chuckled. “I’m really sorry, man.” 

Oliver paused for a moment before speaking, “It’s alright. I guess it’s one of those weird coincidences. I just want Felicity to be happy. If you make her happy, which you seem to do, that’s all that matters.”

That was a lie. He didn’t want another man to make her happy.

_He wanted to be the one to make her happy._

Oliver sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. Before he could speak, Adrian’s phone chimed with a text message. 

“Damn, I have to go. The case that McKenna is working on just broke. We need to go to the police station.” Adrian opened the door, holding it for Oliver. He followed him out and back toward the table. 

“Everything okay, hun?” Felicity asked, eyes narrowed as her gaze darted from her boyfriend to her ex-fiance. 

Adrian nodded, focusing his eyes onto McKenna. “Yeah. We have to go. The case that we’ve been working on just broke. Wanna ride with me?” 

McKenna jumped up, already in full cop mode. “Yeah, let’s go.” She dropped her napkin onto her plate, coming around the table to Oliver. “I’m so sorry this is getting cut short. I’ve been waiting for a break in this case for so long.” she paused, giving him one of her beautiful smiles. “But it was _so_ good to see you, Oliver.” she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her lips came to his ear as she whispered, “I hope you two can find your way back to each other one day.” she pulled away, giving him a kiss on the cheek, winking as she glided past him. 

Oliver smiled, taken aback by her words. If McKenna could see his feelings, that means that anyone could. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he made his way back around the table, watching the two _love birds_ say goodbye. 

“I’m sorry I have to go, hun. I’ll call you later okay. Maybe I can swing by?” Adrian paused, focusing his gaze on Felicity as he hovered over her. 

Felicity blushed, looking quite uncomfortable at his remark. “No, that’s okay. I’ll just see you tomorrow. Good luck with your case.” she smiled, squeezing his hand. 

Adrian nodded, moving his gaze to Oliver. “I hate to ask this, but would you mind driving my girl home? I’m guessing you know where she lives...” he smirked.

Oliver couldn’t help but let out a little bit of a growl. Chase knew what he was doing. Oliver was _not_ going to let him get under his skin.

“Absolutely. Seeing as it used to be where _I_ lived too. No problem.” Oliver smiled, winking at Chase, as he took the last swig of his scotch. He watched as Chase threw some money down on the table. 

“That’s for dinner. It should cover it. Thanks for coming Oliver, and thank you for taking Felicity home.” he snickered, leaning down to kiss her. 

“Keep your lips to yourself. We’ll discuss whatever _that-”_ she gestured to the two men, “was, at a later time.”

Adrian shook his head as he straightened up, following behind McKenna to the exit.

Felicity turned, leveling her gaze at Oliver. “I can find my own way home. But thanks for the offer I guess, if you could even call it that.” she stood taking one last drink of her wine and grabbing her handbag. Before he knew it, she was halfway out the door.

“Felicity! Wait!” he called after her, weaving through the people, following the smell of her perfume out the door. 

He took hold of her hand, gently swinging her around to face him. She glared up at him from underneath her lashes, eyes ablaze with anger. “Let go of me, Oliver.” 

“No. Not until you listen to me.” he stated quietly, his eyes searching hers. 

She sighed, narrowing her eyes at him further. “Fine. Would you like to explain to me what that pissing contest was back there? Or would you like to explain why you got angry and left the table earlier?” 

Oliver sighed, rubbing his face. He closed his eyes tight for a second, opening them back up to her bright blue angry eyes. “Come sit with me?” he gestured to a bench across the street right outside a park. 

Felicity nodded as he dropped his hand to the small of her back, crossing the street to the bench. 

They sat in unison, Felicity immediately crossing her leg over the other. Oliver took a deep breath, turning toward her. 

“Felicity, I’m not good at sharing my feelings. You know this. I never have been, and I probably never will be, but I’m going to be completely honest with you right now because that’s what I promised you I would do.” 

She nodded, leaning in and placing her small hand on his forearm. “I always want you to be honest with me, Oliver.” she stated frankly. 

Sighing, he dove right in. “Tonight was _hard._ Seeing you with another man was _hard_ . I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t even know you were dating someone, let alone my friend and colleague. I guess you could say I was hurt that you didn’t tell me? I know that’s not fair and I know that I shouldn’t be hurt. Being your ex-fiance, that isn’t information that I would be privy to, necessarily. But this,” he gestured between the two of them, “is new to me. Being your friend _after_ being in a relationship, is new to me. I’ve never been friends with an ex.”

Oliver paused, not knowing exactly where to take this. If he was going to be open and honest, he was going to do it without hesitation. 

“I love you. I’m always going to love you. You know that. So seeing you with Adrian? That cut _deep_. I know I fucked up. I know I hurt you more than I’ll probably ever know. And I get it. You need to be able to move on. Be happy. Even if it’s not with me. Seeing you with someone else just reminds me how royally I fucked up and how much I miss you.” 

He looked up, meeting her clear blue eyes. “Oliver, I want to apologize. I should have told you that I was dating Adrian. It’s just that...telling you that would have been closing a door on something that I wasn’t necessarily ready to close yet, if that makes sense.” 

Oliver’s eyebrows shot up, not anticipating her last sentence. “Closing the door on something? You mean closing the door on us?” he asked, slight hope in his voice. 

“Yes and no. I can’t be with you right now, Oliver. Those wounds are too fresh and they need to heal. But I guess I was worried that if I told you that I was dating Adrian, _you_ would close the door on us. Dating your friend is not something I planned, I want you to know that. Adrian came out of nowhere. I honestly didn’t even know you two were friendly until a month after we had been talking. He had mentioned you here and there because he works closely with you. But then you mentioned that you had gone out for drinks with him and I honestly didn’t know what to think or say, so I just didn’t tell either one of you about the other. Which _clearly_ blew up in my face.” she chuckled, covering her face. 

Oliver chuckled, reaching out to remove her hand from her face. “Felicity…” he waited for her eyes to meet his. 

He smiled, squeezing her hand. “Nothing you could say or do would make me close the door on us.” He paused, breathing deeply. “If there is even a speck of hope in the future of us getting back together, I’m going to hold onto that.” 

Felicity’s eyes widened as the small intake of air filled her lungs. She bowed her head, taking a moment to let what he said sink in. She picked her head up after a moment, nodding. “Okay. “ she stated simply, her lips turning up into a small smile. 

“I’m sorry about tonight. I guess I need to get used to seeing you with Adrian.” he brought his hand to his lap, smoothing his pant leg down. 

“No, you don’t. I have a feeling after I call him out on his stunt tonight, we won’t be together much longer. He went from this sweet guy, to being a serious asshole to you tonight. It kind of makes me wonder if he _did_ know about us? I mean, our relationship was all over the news, it was kind of hard to miss. Plus, it’s not like Coast City is that far away. I don’t know, it just rubbed me the wrong way.” 

Oliver narrowed his eyes, rising to his feet and extending his hand to her. “Yeah, that’s true. Plus now that you mention it, he made it a point to tell me again in the bathroom that he didn’t know we were together before. You don’t think he would put this dinner together to rile both of us up, do you?” he asked, thoughts swirling in through his brain. 

Felicity accepted his hand, looping her arm through his. “I don’t know. I would hope not, but I’ve only been dating the guy a month. I don’t know him well enough to gauge whether he would do something that fracked up.” 

“Yeah, I would hope not either. I guess just see what he says when you talk to him..” Oliver shook his head, clearing his thoughts of any hint of Adrian. 

Felicity nodded, falling in step with him. “Also, can we _please_ talk about McKenna? Because _wow_ , I was _not_ expecting that!”

“You weren’t expecting that? _I_ wasn’t expecting that!” he laughed, as they started toward his car. “She completely came out of left field. It was good to see her though. I hadn’t seen her since before Tommy died. It was a nice surprise.” Oliver’s mind wandered back to Chase for a millisecond. _Could he have known he dated McKenna too? No, there’s no way._

“A nice surprise as in you’re going to see her again?” Felicity asked, peering up at him with narrowed eyes shaking his thoughts from his brain. “Because I want you to be happy of course too. McKenna is beautiful, sweet, funny, and clearly very intelligent.” 

“Do _you_ want to date her?” he teased, nudging her shoulder, laughing. 

Felicity threw her head back in laughter, “No, I don’t. I’m just saying that she would be a good candidate for Oliver Queen’s next girlfriend.” she chuckled, lowering her head a bit. 

“You are forgetting that she’s already been ‘Oliver Queen’s’ girlfriend.” he laughed, walking in step with her. 

Felicity groaned, “How could I possibly forget? Tall, leggy, models were always your type.” 

As they reached the car, Oliver stopped and unlocked it. “Not anymore.” he winked, opening the passenger door for her as he gestured for her to get in.

“Mmm, not anymore.” she got in, folding her coat and bag in her lap neatly, sending him a smile as he closed the door. 

“Not anymore,” he whispered. 

_There was still hope._

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: smoakqueenfam  
> Tumblr: blondeeoneexox
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! :)


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